Amid the upheaval in Paris these days is a quiet gathering of speed at the oldest continuously operating couture house in the world.
Today, Lanvin will unveil its latest store, inside the bustling Galeries Lafayette flagship here. The move, which brings the house its third boutique in the French capital, follows last month’s opening of a store on the Croisette in Cannes (just in time for the Film Festival) and not far from the original address Jeanne Lanvin chose a century ago.
In the days ahead, the house will—finally!—announce the name of its new artistic director. But despite the headrush of a new appointment, it’s worth remembering that the new Lanvin’s next phase is a culmination of two-and-a-half years of careful reframing and rebuilding by deputy managing director Siddhartha Shukla and his team. Judging by the buzziness in the showroom, something is afoot.
“It’s not an overnight thing, but growth is as strong as it’s been in a decade and I believe in the talent of the studio,” Shukla offered during a preview of the new collection. The imminent arrival of a (seasoned) new figurehead, he added, portends not a revolution but rather a re-situating of the maison as a go-to for what made it famous in the first place: le chic ultime.
Suffice to say there’s nary a t-shirt or hoodie in sight. But that doesn’t mean Lanvin is hewing solely to its turf of cocktail and evening wear, though that category remains its strength.
Dance—specifically icons like Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Pina Bausch—inspired cape dresses like a black number torqued and draped at the back hem, another that managed to fuse flou and body-con, and a sage green draped number that looked on-point without giving much away. An embellished silk cady dress dotted with silver starbursts of “Traviata” embroidery picked up on a house motif from the 1920s. A dress with a “flou twist,”anchored by a fluted silver bijou that referenced the bottle of Lanvin’s most famous scent, Arpège (designed by Lanvin herself), was a fine exercise in one-and-done. A daffodil gown with strass-embroidered straps looked like a potential red carpet workhorse; not shown here are other pieces from the Edition Soir evening wear that rise to demi-couture level.
That said, daywear, for both genders, is a priority because, as Shukla points out, “the reality is that people don’t wear evening dresses all day.” Au contraire, as anyone who has meandered through the streets of any major world capital (even Paris) or boarded a plane lately knows all too well.
The “spirit of flou” took shape for example in a lightweight, graceful pantsuit in wool with a drawstring-waisted jacket and deep-cuffed trousers, paired with a crisp leather bucket bag with a swingy, jewel-like keychain. For men, flou might mean a deconstructed jacket. A couple of linen bombers, one with a cocoon shape, looked strong, as did a polo-style “not-sweatshirt.” Trenches in particular looked well-cut, and this season came in double-face salt and pepper cotton-wool mouliné. Very wisely, the brand has foregone conspicuous branding in favor of a squared signifier, variously at the end of a drawstring, on a back belt loop, and elsewhere.
In all, it looked like the studio has been working hard and the groundwork is laid. But ultimate, “radical” chic never comes without a dash of daring, a little sass, and a knowing wink. Here’s hoping the new steward—whomever it may be—can throw all that into the mix. If so, then Lanvin will really land back on the map.